Sunday Hang with Clay and Buck - Oct 19 2025

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show — Sunday Hang

Episode: October 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this "Sunday Hang" episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton bring their signature blend of humor, candor, and political commentary to the latest trends and flashpoints in American culture. The co-hosts riff on everything from the nostalgia of 1990s cinema to the ongoing battles in the pop-cultural arena, specifically the impact of advertising, "woke" marketing, and the pushback against progressive overreach. Using current news like American Eagle’s successful Sydney Sweeney ad campaign as a jumping-off point, they analyze the culture war’s commercial frontlines and reflect on broader political and media trends. With tennis talk, gym stories, and memorable listener messages interlaced, the show keeps things lively while focusing on the intersection of culture, capitalism, and controversy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 1990s Movie Nostalgia and Critique

(00:51 - 04:40)

• Buck admits, with comedic chagrin, to watching The English Patient for the first time, only to announce:

  “That movie sucks. I mean, that movie is trash. You know, won like, nine Academy Awards. Back when the Academy Awards meant something.” (00:51, Buck Sexton)

• Clay reminisces about taking a date to see the film as a high schooler:

  “It was like, the worst… I went on a high school date to the English Patient. Like, the worst.” (01:20, Clay Travis)

• They joke about the impossibility of choosing a sad, heavy film like Schindler’s List as a make-out movie, referencing the famous Seinfeld scene.

2. Jussie Smollett Documentary as Comic Relief

(03:01 - 04:40)

• Buck praises the documentary on the Smollett case for its unintentional absurdity:

  “I couldn’t stop laughing. They take you through the first hour...this is the dumbest thing. This is the most absurd thing we’ve ever seen.” (03:30, Buck Sexton)

• Clay & Buck recall Buck’s early skepticism about Smollett’s claims, highlighting media gullibility during “lib-dominated” Twitter’s heyday.

3. Tennis, Sports Performance, and Internet Armchair Critics

(04:58 - 12:28)

• Listener “Glenn from Ohio” prompts a discussion on the US Open and Buck’s tennis serve, leading Buck to predict Sinner will outshine Alcaraz and break the elusive 100 mph mark on his serve.
• Internet Contrarians:
  Both hosts mock how, on the Internet, average people present themselves as experts and are quick to diminish real achievements:

  “Almost no one can do that [bench 225 lbs]…Yet on the internet it seems to be made up by only guys who ridicule any.” (07:50, Clay Travis)

• They laugh at how even celebrities (“Margot Robbie is mid”) and top athletes are subject to casual dismissal online.
• Buck observes:

  “There’s a lack of objectivity that comes out...My daughter plays D1 tennis for UCLA and she can serve that hard…She could probably go on the pro tour. Like, is this a dunk?” (09:31, Buck Sexton)

4. The Evolution of Athleticism in Sports

(11:41 - 12:28)

• Growing professionalism and discipline in modern athletes—contrasted with the “everyman” look of past golf and tennis pros.
• Clay:

  “There aren’t really very many of those guys in golf...You don’t see guys with a 30 pound gut...who are world class golfers right now.” (11:41, Clay Travis)

5. The Culture Wars, “Woke” Advertising, and Commercial Pushback

(14:27 - 39:23)

• American Eagle & Sydney Sweeney Campaign:
  Clay details how the company’s use of “a pretty girl in jeans” led to skyrocketing sales (+32% in one day), despite media backlash over “good genes” puns being unfairly connected to eugenics.
• Buck questions:

  “What’s the next company...that plans to just do an old school, all Americana good feeling ad?” (17:26, Buck Sexton)

• Both hosts ridicule the trend of “woke” ad agencies:

  “They wanted to tell us that fat androgynous model is going to sell lingerie. Guess what? America’s not crazy.” (16:57, Clay Travis)

• The pair highlight Bud Light’s and Cracker Barrel’s experiences as proof of mainstream America’s distaste for progressive virtue-signaling in ads.
• Advertising Chokehold:
  • Deep dive into how ad agencies enforce cultural progressivism by leveraging brand access, pushing businesses to deploy “androgynous” or “unusual” spokespeople instead of classic appeals.
  • Both discuss the economic power of consumers pushing back, as seen in the Sydney Sweeney/American Eagle case.
  • Clay:

    “They [ad agencies] are the bottleneck that is putting all this ridiculousness—I would argue a lot of it is filth—out into the larger cultural arena.” (19:27, Clay Travis)

• Sponsor Loyalty & Conservative Businesses:
  Both stress the importance, and challenges, of advertisers supporting conservative-leaning shows and recognize the deliberate campaigns by left-wing groups to deplatform dissenting voices.
  • Buck:

    “They make every sponsor on this and other conservative programs out there…make a decision to stand with you, all of you and your values, because there are a lot of companies out there that we would make a ton of money for...and they’re like, ‘I’m sorry, have you heard what Clay Travis says about trans guys playing on women’s field hockey?’” (21:34, Buck Sexton)

• The Power of Culture:
  Both argue that culture—more than policy or economics—shapes society’s direction.
  • Clay:

    “Culture, culture, culture. The older I get the in all facets, your company’s culture is how you win…” (19:27, Clay Travis)

6. The Business of Media and Deplatforming Conservative Voices

(30:27 - 39:23)

• Clay describes how left-leaning groups pressure companies to avoid advertising on “controversial” conservative media, resulting in a lack of mainstream sponsors (not a single car or restaurant advertiser) despite massive audiences.
• Media Business Realities:
  • Buck outlines the subsidization of left-leaning media by major corporate advertising, which in turn supports “unfunny” or unsuccessful progressive shows.
• Discussion returns repeatedly to the Sydney Sweeney campaign’s success as proof that classic, “apolitical” sex-appeal advertising simply works better than forced-cultural messages.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On 1990s Cinema:

• “That movie sucks. I mean, that movie is trash.”
  — Buck Sexton on The English Patient (00:51)

On Internet Experts:

• “It is funny for things that, you know, 95% of people can’t do...if I posted a video of me doing two or three reps...some guy would be like, ‘oh, that’s pathetic.’”
  — Clay Travis (07:50)

On “Woke” Advertising:

• “They wanted to tell us that fat androgynous model is going to sell lingerie. Guess what? America’s not crazy.”
  — Clay Travis (16:57)

On the Power of Culture:

• “Culture is how you win. I’m sorry, Culture, culture, culture. The older I get...your company’s culture is how you win...You have to win culture.”
  — Clay Travis (19:27)

On Sponsor Loyalty:

• “They make every sponsor on this and other conservative programs out there, they make a decision to stand with you...because there are a lot of companies out there that we would make a ton of money for...and they’re like, ‘I’m sorry, have you heard what Clay Travis says about trans guys playing on women’s field hockey?’”
  — Buck Sexton (21:34)

On Sex Appeal in Advertising:

• “Pretty girls sell products. Sexy products sell. Victoria’s Secret...make lingerie sexy again. Turns out putting unattractive models...doesn’t make anyone want to buy more panties and bras.”
  — Clay Travis (38:20)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:51 – 04:40
  90s movies (The English Patient, Schindler’s List) and pop-culture send-up
• 03:01 – 04:40
  Jussie Smollett Netflix doc and media skepticism
• 04:58 – 12:28
  Sports, tennis serve challenge, internet “experts” and ridicule
• 14:27 – 19:27
  Sydney Sweeney ad campaign, pop-culture as culture war, American Eagle stock surge
• 19:27 – 22:52
  Dissecting woke marketing agencies and the cultural bottleneck
• 22:52 – 30:27
  Pressure on advertisers, sponsor loyalty, liberal organizing to deplatform conservatives
• 30:27 – 39:23
  Advertising in conservative media, media business models, American Eagle's win as a culture war bellwether

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Tone and Style

True to their brand, Clay and Buck blend dry wit, exasperated social commentary, and relaxed sports banter with sharp critiques of their cultural and professional adversaries. The discussion is fast-paced, peppered with anecdotes, and delivered in the style of a smart but irreverent conversation—a mix of nostalgia, polemic, fraternity, and a pointed defense of traditional American values and market-based common sense.

Transcript

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Buck Sexton]

You know what your customers are doing right this second? The exact same thing. You are listening to me, which, let's.

[Clay Travis]

Be honest, is kind of flattering.

[Buck Sexton]

But my point Is, ads on iHeartRadio.

[Clay Travis]

Actually get heard in the car, at the gym, on the couch, while people are walking their dogs. Who's a good boy?

[Buck Sexton]

Who's a good boy?

[Clay Travis]

You're a good boy.

[Buck Sexton]

That's right, dude. You're a good. So why not make the next ad about you?

[Clay Travis]

Get started today.

[Buck Sexton]

Call 844-844-IHEART or go to iheartadvertising.com that's 844-844-iheart or iheartadvertising.com Sunday Hang is brought to you by Chalk Natural supplements for.

[Clay Travis]

Guys, gals, and nothing in between. Fuel your [e-mail] Bold, reverent, and occasionally random. The Sunday Hang with Clay and Buck podcast starts now.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm about 30 years late on this one, but I felt like I finally just had to bite the bullet and do it. And I. And I watched the English Patient, which I had never seen before. That movie. That movie sucks. I mean, that movie is trash. You know, One, like, nine Academy Awards. Back when the Academy Awards meant something. Like, back when the. Back when the movies that you loved were.

[Clay Travis]

What were.

[Buck Sexton]

This is the 90s, right? The awesome movies would get nominated. Not all of them, but a lot of them would get nominated for Academy Awards. You've ever seen the English Patient?

[Clay Travis]

I mean, I. I have not thought about the English Patient legitimately in probably 30 years. I went on a high school date to the English Patient. Like, the worst.

[Buck Sexton]

I love it.

[Clay Travis]

It was like, the worst. I'm trying to look up what.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, did you get. Did you get some. You know, I mean, like, was it a good date?

[Clay Travis]

Trying to make out. Try to make out during Schindler's List. I mean, it's like the saddest movie.

[Buck Sexton]

It is a little tough. And the guy. Yeah, he's. He's kind of a sad, sad case. Also, though, I want to be like, so you sold. You sold out? Like, this chick was so important to you. Sold out to the Nazis, buddy. I mean, I know he was Hungarian.

[Clay Travis]

But I have no recollection other than it was in. I just looked it up. 1996. So I was 17, and I went on a date with a six. I was. I think I was a junior or senior. And I went out one year younger than me, and I was like, I. I don't know. I don't Know what I was thinking? It's like the word. There's the Seinfeld, I think, where he.

[Buck Sexton]

Gets caught when they go to Schindler's List and he's. Yeah, he's making out during Schindler's List is a problem.

[Clay Travis]

English Patient is up there with Schindler's List on movies that it's the least difficult, most difficult to actually make out during. Maybe.

[Buck Sexton]

On the positive side of things, I find, go back and watch the movies of the 90s were fantastic. Like, that's when they were making great. So if there's a great movie from the 90s, generally speaking, and you haven't seen it, it's worth going to see. They don't make good movies anymore. I know I sound like it, like some old man, but it's true. They just don't make good movies anymore. Occasionally, something will pop up on Netflix that's worthwhile or Apple TV or something.

[Clay Travis]

Why did you watch. It's been out for 40 years. Why did you suddenly watch the. Was this Kerry's decision?

[Buck Sexton]

No, because I said, well, I was looking for a movie night film for us. You know, we had the baby and I had watched the Jussie Smollett documentary when I was babysitting on my own the night before because Kerry went to bed early. And that is incredible, by the way, the Jussie Smollett documentary on Netflix, it's. I mean, they do get into the, like, well, there are still questions. And like, Jussie Smollett is all. He's like, you know, I would never have done this.

[Clay Travis]

And he still participated in the documentary.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, yeah, he does interviews. But Clay, they take you through. I mean, I couldn't stop laughing. They take you through the first hour when you go back and actually see. So I just want to give you on the good side of things, the Jussie Smollett documentary. The first hour, and they have these detectives who are the early one, you know, the guys on the case, and they're just looking at everyone like, I mean, this is the dumbest thing. This is the most absurd thing we've ever seen. And of course, Kamala and Joe Biden, and they're all, oh, Jussie Smollett. It's just a great trip down memory lane. And that was back when Twitter was lib dominated and I had people, I had blue checks coming after me because I did a podcast when the story broke, Clay, and it was Jussie Smollett is lying. That was the title of the podcast. And, man, that was a fun one. Like, how dare you? How dare you? I'm like, yeah, sure, he would hold on to the subway sandwich and keep the noose around his neck. Like walked into his apartment and then waited for the cops to come. Right? I mean, this is. It is bonkers. But no, if you, if you want to, if you have a movie night with your spouse or whatever coming up, if you got a. It's rains here a lot in Florida now, so we have some rainy nights. 90s stuff is great. Except for the English Patient, which is trash. I'm just giving you this 30 years late announcement because I had never seen it before.

[Clay Travis]

I think it's really funny because I haven't thought about the English Patient a long time and I just looked up the release date. It was winter, fall of 96. So I was a senior in high school. I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I guess I thought, this is a romantic movie. I should take a girl to a romantic movie. It is. I have not thought about that movie.

[Buck Sexton]

I don't think that's that bad of a date. There are way worse date movies than the English Patient. You know, it's not like, I mean, the Schindler's listing, obviously from Seinfeld was meant to, like, they're meant to find the absolute worst possible movie to try to make out with somebody during. And yeah, they're. There are other, other movies that I would say would be far, far tougher to watch than. Than that one. All right, we got some talkbacks here. Probably not about the English Patient, but here we go. All right, Glenn FF Glenn from Ohio, who listens on WMAN radio. Play it. Hey, Buck, it's Glenn from Mansford, Ohio. Clay's always talking sports and this is your week to shine in sports. Let's hear some commentary about the tennis US Open. Great tournament. Plus it's in New York. And also, how about an update on your serve speed? I don't think I've heard that or I missed it. Thanks. All right, you're asking for some U.S. open. I have been watching at night, so I've been trying to space out my babysitting routines here for a little Speed, which is my son's name, which I think you all know. So I've been watching the Open clay. I. I think it's heading toward Alcaraz center in the final. And I think that Sinner is going to win the whole thing. I know a lot of people would say Alcaraz, it's. It's a great Time for. For men's tennis. As for my serve, I will tell you, I have now gotten. I have not given up. I don't want any of you to think that this is, like, oh, like, I went out there one time before the show for 30 minutes in the sun. It was very hot out there, but some of you noticed. Why are you so sweaty? I don't know. Cause it's 104 degrees on this court. And I got. Hold on, hold on, hold on, buddy. Hold on. I got top of the line now. For civilian home use, I guess it's all for civilian use. It's not military. But for civilian home use, I got a better radar gun, and I'm ready to go and get out there. It's got, like, a tripod, the whole thing. Because the radar gun, it's. The one you hold in your hand is trash because it has to be right in line with. So I. I showed you guys one serve at 97 miles an hour. I have to serve it 15 times to get one reading. Basically, like, it never. The readings are not good. So I got something that should be way better. And now the only challenge has been rain because the courts get wet here every day, so you can't play. And there's only outdoor courts where I am in Miami. But the answer to your question is before the US Open is over, I plan to be out there, and we will break 100, my friends. We will break 100.

[Clay Travis]

I am curious to hear and interested to see. So Laura Travis was asked. Look at that.

[Buck Sexton]

Look at that vote of no confidence. Three more mph, you know, three more mph. I don't know. You know, you might throw your shoulder out on that one. I know, but the other thing I'll tell you is it's amazing how everybody, Everybody on the Internet is a. Is a firearms expert and a tennis expert. It's fascinating. You know what I'm saying? It's like, oh, really?

[Clay Travis]

Really?

[Buck Sexton]

Everyone's. Everyone's got commentary going.

[Clay Travis]

And I'm like, it is funny for things that, you know, 95% of people can't do. How many. And look, it could be anything. Like, I'll give you an example. You and I could both bench 225 pounds. That is, for most men in their 40s, something that they can't do, right? Somehow the only people who comment are the people who tell you that you're super weak, right? Like, almost no one can do that. Like, and if I went. If I posted a video of me doing two or three reps, which I Think is about what I would get. Some guy would be like, oh, that's pathetic. And you're like, well actually it's like 98th percentile for men my age. Like if you're in 90th percentile in anything, you're pretty good. And yet on the Internet it seems to be made up by only guys who ridicule any. I mean it really is. And by the way, for women, the number of guys out there really pre girls, right? Pretty girl does something and first one of the first comments is, she's not that hot. It's like, well, who are you date? Who are you married to? Right? Oh yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

They like to say, they like to say mid is the deal. She's mid.

[Clay Travis]

Like, and people will say like Margot.

[Buck Sexton]

Margot Robbie is mid.

[Clay Travis]

I'm like, yeah, it's like, I mean like Leonardo DiCaprio. If he wants to be like, she's not that good looking, I'd be like, okay, well he's been dating 25 year old girls for 30 years. You know, he's kind of got a high standard. I can see that. But unless you're picking models for the COVID of Vogue, most girls that are like Sydney Sweeney, people are like, I don't really think she's that hot. I'm like, who are you dating? That Sydney Sweeney, she's not that good looking.

[Buck Sexton]

There's a lack, there's a lack of, of. This is a chronic thing online. There's a, in the, in the commentariat, in the comment section. There's a lack of objectivity that comes out. I saw this in the tennis thing I had. People were saying like, my daughter plays D1 tennis for UCLA and she can serve that hard. And I'm like, yeah, she's an amazing tennis player. Like, what, what is, what, what are you saying? She plays D1 at UCLA. She could probably go on the pro tour. Like, is this a dunk? I don't understand. You think you're dunking on me? Like you're telling me, like, that's pretty great.

[Clay Travis]

It's, it's just, yeah. Like if you're in the 90th percentile on anything, you're pretty good at it, right? I mean that, that is. And yet on the Internet, if you're in the 90th percentile, it's, it's as if people are all, I mean even I guess, you know, you could be Michael Jordan and people are like, well, he's not actually that good. It was like, well, you know, maybe the greatest, probably the greatest basketball player of all time. I think maybe he knows a little bit more.

[Buck Sexton]

I do think to just close a little. First of all, the surf thing is not done. Just so you all know. There will be, there will be follow up. And second of all, so don't worry about that. And second of all, I think that you'll probably find out that Sinner, Sinner might become like the far and away best tennis player of all time. So we'll see. He did have a little issue.

[Clay Travis]

That's a bold call when you're talking about the joker Djokovic and how good he is right now and then obviously following Federer and all.

[Buck Sexton]

So Djokovic is on the downslope, right? Like he's almost 40 about being 40, but then the amount that he's racked up in terms of the wins, most all time majors. But it's really an Alcaraz or Sinner world that we're coming into here and they're both phenomenal players and they're really fun to watch. It is also fun to see how tennis, I don't know if any sport in our lifetime has transformed more. I mean you go back to look at like Jimmy Connors. Jimmy Connors looks like the guys that my dad plays golf with on the weekends. Like these are not, these do not look like elite athletes running around the tennis court hitting. I know the rackets are different and everything else. I mean now these guys are, they're all in incredible cardiovascular shape. They move incredibly well. The girls too. I mean, Willock. Women's tennis is a, is a great spectator sport, unlike some other things. It's not like the WNBA situation where people are told they have to watch in women's tennis. Those women are incredible athletes and it's a fun, it's a good spectator experience.

[Clay Travis]

Even by the way. I think that's true across the board. And it's one sign of how people just continue to get better. Even golf. There's not really John Daly's anymore or Angel Cabrera's for those of you out there. Just kind of chubby, not very well. I'm not trying to take shots at John Daly or Angel Cabrera, but they were popular for that reason. There aren't really very many of those guys in golf. I think you don't see guys with.

[Buck Sexton]

A 30 pound gut on them smoking cigarettes at the seventh, at the seventh tee or whatever, wearing the plaid pants who are world class golfers right now.

[Clay Travis]

Like that you're not seeing, they don't exist anymore. And I think partly it's the amount of money but also people are just more aware of how to get the most out of your body and the discipline that it takes to become an excellent athlete now I think is higher.

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[Clay Travis]

Than it ever has been before Sunday. Hang with Clay and Buck this morning. Buck As I was getting ready for the show, as I was walking my fifth grader to school, as I do most mornings, um, I the stock market opened. I looked down at my phone. I knew it was going to be a big pop out of the gate. But American Eagle stock, for those of you who saw the Sydney Sweeney advertisements and just said, you know what I think A pretty girl in jeans and a company that is not apologizing for it is likely to do well. Last night American Eagle said their Sydney Sweeney ad campaign is so successful that they are now increasing their earnings expectations and their profit expectations. And the stock as I speak to you all today is up 32 and a half percent. Today alone, the stock up four and a half dollars. So if you just heard us talking about this advertisement, if you just saw them talking about it on Fox News and you thought to yourself, you know what, a pretty girl in jeans seems like a pretty good idea. And then as you saw all the controversy stirred up on the left, people saying, oh, this is eugenics. Maybe we can go back and pull the ABC Good morning America story where they put on the expert to say, oh, this is very troubling. This is calling a blonde hair blue eyed girl saying she has good genes as a pun on J E A N S G E N e s. A clear double entendre there. If you thought this is all ridiculous, this is going to work. I give credit to American Eagle. They didn't run and hide. I know because my grandma, grandma of my kids, my mom took a picture of my son at back to school season standing in front of a Sydney Sweeney ad. I know that even grandmas were aware of this ad campaign. And maybe some of you out there, you bought your kids and your grandkids American Eagle gear just to make a statement on this buck. I do think that this is a sign of the culture shift having occurred in a big way. I think the popularity of football going through the roof, ratings wise, I think it's directly connected to this pretty girls, sports, it's all coming back together again. It never left popularity. But they wanted to tell us that fat androgynous model is going to sell lingerie. Guess what? America's not crazy. People like football. They like pretty girls. And my goodness, you could have made a lot of money by betting on both.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I want to find out what the next company is that plans to just do an old school, all Americana good feeling ad. I mean this, it seems like a, you know, Clay, as you know, we've talked about marketing execs. Madison Avenue ad execs are among the most woke as a profession. Most woke individuals you'll find anywhere. I mean they're really up there with like Broadway choreographers in terms of their politics and they are living in some other planet. And I think because of America's overall prosperity, the dominance of many American companies, they've been able to get away with their ideological decisions, ideologically based decisions instead of what's based for the company for a long time that perhaps is in the early stages of changing. We shall see. I will say I haven't seen a change in the advertising kind of companies, I should say the kind of companies advertising and conservative media. Haven't seen that happen yet. We were hearing, you know, early rumbles that this may go on and now I think there's a little more of a wait and see. Trump's first year, let's see if he stays focused and stays on it. But I think that consumers and the American people need to continue to push. And that just means be vocal about your preferences and put your dollars where your heart is. Actually make decisions based upon where, where companies align with your values. And in some cases it's just fun and liking America and wanting to sell a good product that that's, that can align with your values. It doesn't have to be, you know, everything is draped in an American flag and talks about defeating the communists, although that's fine too. But just here trying to use the old, the oldest trick in the marketing book, a beautiful woman selling a product to people that they will like. It turns out that still works if you're willing to do it. It certainly works better than a 300 pound, androgynous purple hair earplugged, you know, whatever we're dealing with. It's crazy.

[Clay Travis]

I do think that the retreat that you saw from Cracker Barrel and this is where the impact of Bud Light really comes in. Because I've heard so many people out there, they get sometimes upset when we talk about culture, not just on this program, but on all programs. And they're like, tell me more about the tax plan for small businesses. And I'm like, ok, yeah, I mean I'm in favor of lower taxes, all these things, but culture is how you win. I'm sorry, Culture, culture, culture. The older I get the in all facets, your company's culture is how you win your team, both as a actual athletic team and just the team around you. Your family. Culture is how you win. Culture, culture, culture. And you have to win culture. And what I am seeing right now is Buck's point. I told you guys this about Fanduel yesterday and I got a lot of reaction to it. I don't think most people outside of media understand that the advertising agencies are the wokest part of American life and they are the bottleneck that is putting all this ridiculousness. I would argue a lot of it is filth out into the larger cultural arena because they control so much of the access to the marketplace. And they were the ones pushing all this androgynous models, all this, hey, being £350, that's how we should sell. And athletic gear. Hey, let's put an actual man in a Nike sports bra. And let's say, hey, girls, go buy Nike sports bras to work out in. I mean, these are the ads that they were putting in. They're the reason Bud Light put this trans influencer on a can in the first place. We have to destroy them. We have to destroy them and understand there's a lot of cowardice out there, but that's how you win culture. That is how you go back to some form of normalcy in American life.

[Buck Sexton]

And I think that it's incumbent upon everybody to remember this as they're making their decisions. And, you know, we talk about Crockett Coffee here on the show and how we're already. You know, some of you listen to Joe Pags. Joe Pags is selling Crockett Coffee, and Ben Ferguson is selling Crockett Coffee. You know, we're putting money into the broader conservative media economy because Clay and I remember what it was like. I remember in the early days, sponsors that would come on, you have the same thing. Sponsors that would stand with you. They felt like family. And that's one of the reasons why we're so attached to many of our longtime sponsors here on this show, because they're with us shoulder to shoulder. Yeah, they're trying to offer up great products to all of you, but they make a be very clear about this. And I don't ever want to make it feel like this is something we don't talk about. They make every sponsor on this and other conservative programs out there, they make a decision to stand with you, all of you and your values, because there are a lot of companies out there that we would make a ton of money for by just telling you about their great products. And they're like, I'm sorry, have you heard what Clay Travis says about trans guys playing on women's field hockey? Have you heard what Buck Sexton said about COVID lockdowns and Foushee? And I'm. I'm. That is the God's honest truth. That is exactly what goes on.

[Clay Travis]

This is one where, strategically, the left understands how to win culture better. They created. And again, we're taking you into the weeds a little bit. But I think it's important for you guys to understand it. And certainly Russia lived through it because some of the creation of these groups were designed to try to destroy Russia's. Show. As many of you will remember, the left created entire companies that they're. All they did was reach out to big brand advertisers and say, are you sure you want to be affiliated with this conservative, by the way, very broadly defined conservative? Because I did a sports talk show and I had FanDuel cancel on me over saying men can't be in women's sports. I mean, how many sports gamblers do you think in America believe that men should be able to compete in women's sports?

[Buck Sexton]

I generally don't. I generally don't think the guys were paying really close attention to which pony is going to come in first or which touchdown is going to be the game winner sitting there chopping their cigars like, you know what? We really need more futurist female T shirts.

[Clay Travis]

And by the way, also beer companies. I mean, this is the Cracker Barrels decision writ large. And I think a lot of these companies are now going to start firing some of these marketing agencies, but they're the ones with the chokehold on culture. You need to see the Sydney Sweeney ad campaign work because cowardice is common and most marketers are not particularly smart and they follow whichever direction they're led. And if they're told put fat chicks into sports bras or put dudes with penises into sports bras to sell women's athletic gear, they'll do it because they're cowards. And that's what they were told.

[Buck Sexton]

And you see in the case of the Cracker Barrel and Cracker Barrel situation, I just want to say this, too, for I've been reading conservative media and I've, you know, doing all this stuff now since I was in high school. So we're going on 30, 30 years of seeing what the sponsors are seeing what the climate is and how advertisers and corporations treat anything that half the country, a little niche market known as half the country, fully endorses and supports. And so there is a sense of a. I don't know if it's a renaissance. It's certainly a turning of the tide. There is a sense that things now under this Trump administration are better than they have ever been in this regard. There's still a lot of work to be done, though, because it's, it's crazy. And you see a lot of these shows, Clay, after the Trump election, after Trump's election win, that have been canceled. A lot of these programs that have. They were being propped up by people and companies selling other stuff to you, Right? So it's like the Corporation is. Is making money selling you toaster ovens or whatever. And then people who are in a media subsidiary that the corporation owns are able to write checks that are subsidized by the toaster ovens that you don't realize are actually paying the bills so that you can have Stephen Colbert be a not funny jerk on TV every night, making $30 million a year while a staff is getting fired. That is the lib media business model. And once you understand that it is not free and open, fair choice. And once you understand how they've seated themselves top to bottom in these corporate institutions, how they've decided to use the levers of power and their advantage to their advantage. Clay, this has been worth. It's been worth presidential elections. I'm just going to say it. I mean, Democrats have been in office at different times because of this apparatus that we are outlining for you right now. So trust me, it matters.

[Clay Travis]

And you have to win the culture wars. And this is why I think this is significant. And we're winning the culture wars, and we're winning young men. And we need to add on more steam. Young women want to look like Sydney Sweeney. Young men want to play football. They want to be bigger, stronger, faster than they are. They don't want to be failures. They don't want to be mediocrities. And this sameness, this cultural androgyny that is being sold by the left, we're lighting it on fire, but we need to pour on more fuel. We need to continue to stack wins. That's why this is important. This is how you stack multiple wins. And I do think we should celebrate and draw attention to companies that are making the right decisions because other companies will emulate them. Because success is contagious. And once somebody has success, others will follow.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. Our civilization is built on the aspiration to greatness, to beauty, to discovery, to be. To be someone who is not just eating the gruel that is handed by the commissars and told what to do and what to wear and how to speak. And now you're seeing that people want to return a restoration to the degree it's possible to an America that wants greatness, beautiful things. And that includes some cases, beautiful people.

[Clay Travis]

Sundays with Clay and Buck. I got to be honest, I didn't watch a lot of news. I'm a sports guy. I didn't watch a lot of news on television. I've always been a reader, and I never trust video. I always have known that because I'm in television that I love Doing sports television, for instance. But I've always known that it's hard to get great in depth knowledge from television on anything. This is the reality television is a sound bite era. And I always thought it was funny because I've always done radio too. And people say, okay, what's the difference between writing, which is where I started, and by the way, please go buy my new book Balls. I'm going to talk about this a little bit more later in the week, but it's up pre ordered. I want this thing to be every, everywhere. I think it's important. But people say, what's the difference between writing radio and tv? Writing for me is just me in front of a computer screen. Every word is mine and there's nobody else helping. So for better or worse, I have complete control of every argument that I make on, in a, in a written article. And that is why in many ways writing is still my favorite discipline. Because it's just me sitting in front of a computer screen and there's no one else to help. And, and for better or worse, it's. It's on me to make an argument or to write a column or to write a book that hopefully is entertaining and helps to make people think on a deeper level. Radio. We have the luxury of time. So I can sit with you for three hours every day, but can sit with you for three hours every day. Over time we become in some ways a family because you have 15 hours a week to spend with us and we love all of you that spend that much time. But you're going to learn about our families, you're going to learn about the things that we like, the serious things, the not serious things we hang out. It's basically just one long form conversation. First time I did television, I did television, I came out in a studio and they were like, that was amazing. How was that so good? That was so great. I was like, it's three minutes. I wish my wife had that standard. There you go.

[Buck Sexton]

But I'm.

[Clay Travis]

But it's three minutes. Like you go on television and you give a couple of takes and then you're gone. And there is not a great deal of nuance or complexity or depth that television can convey. And so I was always a little bit skeptical of television in general when it comes to complicated issues. And so I didn't watch, I didn't watch a lot of cnn. I've never watched msnbc, but I didn't really pay much attention to Fox News. I now think it's funny. Fox News is the most I now pay a lot more attention to news. You have to be crazy to watch msnbc. I'm not like I watch msnbc. I read the New York Times, the Washington Post, so to kind of have some sense of what's going on. They live in a crazy world. People say, oh, Fox News, it's super right wing. Fox News is just normal. And this is what they did to me and this is what they try to do to anybody like me. I've talked about this before. They try to always label me controversial. If you read any article about me or somebody's talking about me, within 30 seconds they will say, clay Travis, the controversial, sometimes firebrand, right wing, conservative political commentator. I don't think I'm controversial at all. I, I, I, I say this, I've been saying this for 15 years now as people have constantly labeled me controversial. There's nothing wrong with controversy, but I don't think most of my comments or opinions are remotely controversial. They labeled me super controversial for saying men shouldn't play in women's sports. And again, I have nothing wrong with controversy. But when you are on the side of 80 or 90% of people, what's controversial is the other side. But that isn't emblematic of how they took over the culture is they label anyone, anyone at all who is just not left wing. You're considered to be right wing and they try to label you as controversial. And it has an impact. I give tremendous credit to iHeart for hosting this show, but the most left wing industry in the country is advertising. This show's audience is massive across all 555 stations right now. There are millions of you that will listen to me today on this program. Y' all ever think about the fact that we've never had a car advertisement on this program? Flip on msnbc. Every car brand in America advertises on msnbc. We've never had a restaurant on this program. Flip on cnn. Every restaurant in America advertises on those brands. And I'm thinking about this a lot because I'm going to be potentially starting a new media company. And when you rely on media companies being founded and funded and existing or even having success based on advertising dollars, the left has been brilliant in going after anybody who advertises on anything other than far left wing and labeling them controversial to try to create the idea that brands can't be associated with people like me or people like Buck or frankly, people like you. Think about that. Never a car, never a restaurant in the entire history of us being on this program. It's crazy, right? Well, I think it ties in with this story that I want to talk about this morning. I'm reading an American Eagle headline. American Eagle gained customers after their Sydney Sweeney ads. Stock price has also skyrocketed. It's nearly doubled since they debuted this ad. So if you had just said, hey, that's a pretty girl in jeans, that's probably going to work. And you went and bought American Eagle stock, you've doubled your money just in the last few months nearly over this. But I thought this was interesting. This is again from the Wall Street Journal. They said that they have added nearly a million customers since they debuted the Sydney Sweeney ads. And not only that, they have immediately sold out. And I don't even know what these things are. I'm not exactly the hippest person on the planet when it comes to clothes. As many of you know, the Sweeney cinched waist, denim jacket, sold out in one day. And the Sydney jean. And I'm reading from the Wall Street Journal, this is not my description. An ultra wide leg with a butterfly on the back back pocket. Sold out in a week. They added a million customers and they immediately sold out of everything that she was wearing in the ads. Okay, here's something else. The owner, CEO Jay Schottenstein, big Ohio State guy, by the way. Ohio State buckeye, he is 71 years old and he said he is also an Orthodox Jew. And he said, quote, according to the Wall Street Journal, he was perplexed at the criticism of Sydney. Jeannie has, Sydney Sweeney has good genes. Because remember they said that was, oh, this is a Nazi ad. This is about eugenics. This guy, an orthodox Jewish, actually said his mother in law grew up in Nazi Germany and watched as the synagogue across the street from her home was burned to the ground. Quote, I'm very conscious of that term. He said he felt if the team had felt the campaign was offensive in any way, we never would have done it. Orthodox Jew whose mother in law lived through actual Nazi Germany, said, hey, this is a crazy idea that you would try to brand this a Nazi advertising campaign. Because we put a pretty girl in denim and the denim immediately sold out. Do you know why? Because pretty girls sell products. Sexy products sell. I was laughing about this the other day. Victoria's Secret has a new CEO. She's having a lot of success. Do you know the new Victoria's Secret CEOs plan? Make lingerie sexy again. It turns out putting unattractive models in panties and bras doesn't make anyone want to buy more Panties and bras. I'm fat. They don't want to put me in a male underwear campaign. It will be the least successful underwear on the planet. Nobody's going to see me in underwear and be like, I want to look like that guy. I want to look like that 46 year old dad of three. They need a super ripped guy who's at least going to make you think, hey, maybe I'll be more attractive if I wear this underwear. This is. People want to look better than they actually are. They want the fantasy of, hey, I'm going to put this on and I'm going to look like a supermodel. This is not, you know, they don't sell athletic shoes by putting fat guys in, in, in sneakers and saying, hey, look at this guy's 18 inch vertical. They have a guy who can jump over the moon in the tennis shoes and they make you think you're going to jump over the moon too. I should start an advertising agency. I've actually thought about this. I would sell everything better than what these morons at these advertising agencies do. But I want to give credit because American Eagle said basically screw you to all their critics. Stock price has nearly doubled. They're selling out like crazy. They've got a million extra customers and all they did was go back to the old adage of sex sells. Put a pretty girl in denim instead of some ridiculous androgynous, you know, Ms. I don't even know what the uni gender. I don't even know what these terms are. Pansexual, whatever the heck it is that nobody wants to be. They just put a pretty girl in jeans and they immediately sold out. Maybe America is going to be fine.

[Buck Sexton]

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[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

This is an Iheart podcast.